Pay-to-throw rubbish plan revealed

Pre-paid waste sacks and wheelie bins with microchips could be introduced to make householders pay for their rubbish under plans outlined by council leaders.

People could also be charged according to the size of the wheelie bin they choose to use, in Local Government Association proposals to cut waste and encourage more recycling.

But the LGA insisted the "save as you throw" proposals would not be a stealth tax to raise extra cash for councils.

The association outlined three different schemes which councils in England could use to cut the amount of rubbish residents throw away.

The first would be a system in which householders buy different sized pre-paid rubbish sacks - a scheme which could be used in urban areas where wheelie bins are not always practical.

The second would be the use of microchips in wheelie bins which would allow the amount of rubbish to be weighed as it was loaded on to the refuse truck. Residents would then be billed for the amount of waste they created.

The third option for councils would be a scheme in which householders choose the size of the wheelie bin they use, based on how much rubbish they think they will generate, and are charged accordingly.

The LGA said any scheme a council introduced would be dependent on local circumstances and have to be supported by residents.

But the association warned taxpayers would bear the brunt of fines of up to £3 billion which will be imposed on councils over the next four years if they did not meet European targets for reducing the amount of waste which ends up in landfill.

And it said a survey carried out by Ipsos Mori found 38% of people strongly supported a system in which they paid a reduced council tax rate and were charged directly for the amount of rubbish they produced.